Visitors flocked to Cotswold Downs Estate to enjoy the Kloof Conservancy Indigenous Open Gardens held over the weekend.
The event presented a number of trails on the estate, including a butterfly walk, a pond walk, a riverine forest trail and an aloe garden. Experts were on hand to answer visitors’ questions and these included well-known environmental experts and authors such as Elsa Pooley, Jeanne Tarrant, Richard Boon, Steve Woodhall and others.
The KZN Wind Youth Orchestra and the Thomas More Marimba bands entertained the visitors over the lunch period.
The 2015 event looked at the theme of ‘Urbanisation: Environmentally Responsible Development’. Urbanisation is a global phenomenon, and the upper Highway area is a prime example of housing developments displacing indigenous vegetation. The event highlighted the work done at Cotswold Downs to develop housing in such a way as combine both the needs of humans and nature so that they can co-exist in a manner beneficial to both.
“While the event is a fund-raiser for the conservancy’s many projects, there is also a very serious environmental message behind the event. By planting indigenous species, residents can improve the environmental health of the area they live in. All in all it was a very successful event for both the visitors and the environment,” said Paolo Candotti, chairman of the Kloof Conservancy.
